Hello there... Peter Wallensteen “We have made peace a researchable subject”

Symposium and podcast

The 50th anniversary will be celebrated with a symposium in the University Main Building on 14 October 2021. A series of podcasts on peace and conflict research has also been produced during 2021, entitled Researching Peace. You can listen here!

WE HAVE MADE PEACE A RESEARCHABLE SUBJECT.ˮ

Professor Peter Wallensteen. Peace and conflict research was established at Uppsala University in 1971 and you have been involved since day one.

How did it all begin 50 years ago?

“In 1971, the Unit for Peace and Conflict Research was established by decision of the Faculty of Social Sciences. There was already a seminar within Kursverksamheten/Folkuniversitetet and that moved over to the University after pressure from a group who wanted to see peace research taking place at the country’s universities. The government established three assistant professorships, one each in Uppsala, Gothenburg and Lund. I was appointed as assistant professor and head of department and there I stayed for 27 years.”

How has the subject evolved since then?

“One important event took place in 1981, when the Riksdag established the Dag Hammarskjöld Chair of Peace and Conflict Research. I was appointed to that professorship in January 1985. The doctoral programme started in 1986, since when over 50 PhDs have graduated. Over 80 people now work at the department, a great change from how it was at first.

“Research during the 1970s and 1980s was very much focused on disarmament and nuclear weapons. Now it is more likely to deal with mediation and negotiation. Many researchers specialise on certain countries and the research has shifted to deal with issues at a local level in conflict-affected states. Research is also conducted into issues such as climate and gender, and in future health is bound to figure.”

What has this research contributed to society?

“We have made peace a researchable subject; it’s no longer just a matter of opinions and ideologies but of actually finding out what works and what doesn’t work. If leaders want peace, it offers them ideas about what they can do.

“I also think it’s important to differentiate between peace research and peace associations. Regardless of what we think, research must be conducted according to scientific rules. We have been careful to use established methods and be transparent and we train our students in source criticism and methodological issues.”

The department is renowned internationally for its global conflict database. How did that begin?

“We began collecting data in the 1970s. It was while listening to the BBC’s night-time broadcasts that we discovered that there were many events that never made the mainstream media. It’s fantastic that this has evolved into an international resource used by researchers all over the world. It’s gratifying to see that it’s so useful. It contains not only data on conflicts, but also how they are resolved.”

LI HAO PHOTO: The basilar membrane and auditory nerve in the cochlea. The octave bands are shown in different colours. The human ear can perceive frequencies from 20 Hz (top of the cochlea) to 20,000 Hz (base of the cochlea).

Mapping the cochlea

MEDICINE In collaboration with Canadian colleagues, researchers at Uppsala University have created the very first 3D map of the auditory nerve in the inner ear showing where the various sound frequencies are detected. By using synchrotron X-rays, they were able to follow the fine nerve fibres and basilar membrane in the cochlea to discover exactly how the incoming sound frequencies are distributed. This may contribute to the more effective treatment of hearing impairment. As the appearance of the human cochlea differs from person to person, researchers believe that this new knowledge may be of considerable importance to people receiving cochlear implants due to severe hearing impairment. A cochlear implant is a small electronic device that electrically stimulates the auditory nerve. It has an internal component with electrodes that send signals directly to the auditory nerve and an external component that sits behind the ear. With exact knowledge of the individual patient’s cochlea, the technology can be better adapted to stimulate each area at the correct frequency.

IMAGES GETTY IMAGE:

Social media: true or false?

EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES Uppsala University researchers have developed a digital self-test to train schoolchildren to critically review news, images and videos presented on social media. When tested on just over 200 pupils, the tool proved to have a good effect on their ability to apply source criticism. The aim is to improve the ability of pupils to both uncover untruths and to grasp what may in fact be true, despite appearing unlikely at first glance.

Married or not?

LAW According to the Charter of Fundamental Human Rights of the European Union, all EU citizens have the right to freedom of movement within the EU. So, what happens if a married samesex couple move to a country where same-sex couples are not permitted to marry? A new dissertation on international private law studies how the application of such a law stands in relation to the European Convention on Human Rights and EU law, as well as how cultural circumstances, religion, national identity and politics combine to create an emotional context in applying the law.

Post-COVID brain injury

MEDICINE Although many patients with COVID-19 exhibit neurological symptoms, routine tests often fail to show any effect on the brain. Researchers at Uppsala University were among the first to detect brain damage, by analysing cerebrospinal fluid samples from patients with minor or more severe symptoms. This breakthrough will be followed up with examinations and various tests of cognitive function, difficulty in concentrating, memory lapses and fatigue. Why some people exhibit very severe neurological damage and residual symptoms while others do not is one of the questions the researchers will be trying to answer.